After, of course, a 2 year hiatus, my Mind Fair mates, Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton, are back hosting their annual Rotation Sound System Summer Garden Party. 2022 sees a switch in venue, to the idyllic Carney Pools, in Stafford. Taking place from Friday the 22nd to Sunday the 24th of July, you can find out more, and purchase tickets here. 

Usually for promo we ask each of the DJs for a handful of tracks that they’re likely to play, but this time out there’s such a monster line-up that we’ve asked them all to just pick one.

David Barbarossa 

I first heard this one on that Jazzanova Computer Incarnations comp, back when I was still working in record shops, but I never dreamed that it could have been made in Glasgow. A year or 2 later I was out for a rake through the bins with my pal James – who now runs Redlight Records – when we spotted this copy bearing the sticker ‘SCARCE LOCAL 80s, £1.50’ down a back alley in the west end. As James already had a copy I went home with this one.

It sounds a lot like post-punk party starters, such as Delta 5, ESG, Liquid Liquid et al., but with an extra air of joy, and maybe more of a pop bent. Once again I found it hard to believe that it had come from grey old Glasgow, and I started wondering – pretty much every time I played it – if anyone knew any more about them. One time I wondered aloud after playing it on the radio and the daughter of Charlie and Dot Irvine happened to be listening and within a couple of weeks I met Charlie and he filled me in on some of the background – fun fact: it was recorded in the studio owned by Middle Of The Road of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep fame – and winced at some of the lyrics, which I happen to love.

I loved it all so much that I tried to reissue it, with big plans for remixes and new versions. Technical hitches and money issues meant that never happened – fortunately Dark Entries did the decent thing a few years later. After that I actually couldn’t play it for a good few years,  but it is firmly back on rotation again.

Sidebar: I love that Carol Moore’s contributions are listed as ‘lead vocals, letraset and percussion’

Jolyon Green (Low Life)

A super special record for me, one of my favourite early House tracks. It’s a rawer version than the Trax release that came out a year later and sounds mega on a good system. It takes me back to my teens and discovering all these weird and incredible records on import from Chicago. As my old mate Bill Brewster once said, at the time it sounded like music from outer space. 35 or so years later, I love it as much as ever.

Rob J (Wrekin Havoc)

The record I’ve chosen is…well, it`s not out yet. It will be out in the next few months and will be played at Rotation for sure. I cannot wait to hear it in all its glory on THAT system. Without further ado I present to you, Wrekin Havoc, The Wrong Number E.P. In all good stores soon!

Andy Meecham (Emperor Machine; Chicken Lips)

This is one of my all time favourite records. Released in 1984, it still sounds amazing today. I played it at the last Rotation Garden party and it sounds incredible through the Klipschorn System. 

Dean Meredith (Mind Fair; Chicken Lips)

So there had to be an Arthur Russell production in here, and this one is a big fave  that’s been glued to the record bag for eons. It`s such a great record and a timeless production. It sounds very sweet on the our sound-system I must say.

Stuart Robinson (Wrekin Havoc)

Here’s mine. No special story attached to this one I’m afraid, it’s a pure Discogs job. The cover, and obviously the Spanish take on Italo contained within, scream summer. A prime slice of Spantalo. Looking forward to cutting loose with friends in a field.

Mark Seven (Parkway Records)

My pick is Gloria Knight`s We’re Gonna Make It. A nice mid-80s garage tune on a tiny private press label. Kenton Nix on the production, a hopeful message and hard as hell to find. What’s not to like!?!

This record came out of a basement in Sadlebrook, NJ. part of the score of a lifetime. Sweaty and hot, boxes on boxes of promos and obscurites. One hell of a day, that..!

Ben Shenton (Mind Fair)

Strong Rotation end of the nighter, a rumoured Soul 2 Soul bootleg which, for me,  encapsulates everything we are as a party.

Andy Taylor (We Are The Sunset)

DJ / producer Sean Innit was a regular face at the early WATS parties in Hackney. He got the vibe of what our monthly gatherings were all about and turned in this sweet soulful edit. I had no idea Sean had named the track after the party until it was released on Moton Records as part of a 7” box set back in 2015. To say I was flattered is an understatement.

Jayne Winstanley (1BTN; The Southern Belle)

This record is much loved by my friends and I. It’s so beautiful and I have many fond memories associated with it, the first one being this….

It was very late into an after party, many years ago and my mate, Kelvin Andrews, dropped this record. Covered in goosebumps, I ran right over to ask what it was and he said, “You’ve got this.” I asked, “Who’s it by?” He said, “It was one of your birthday presents.” “What a strange name for a band I thought”, but I was a bit worse for wear, so I checked again. “It’s called You’ve Got This, and it’s by One Of Your Birthday Presents???” He started laughing and showed me the sleeve. “I gave you this and a stack of other records for your birthday 6 months ago. Did you not play them?” I racked my brains, of which there wasn’t much left at 10AM, then it all came back to me. Kelv had indeed given me records. I’d got home at sunrise on my birthday and put them by my sofa and went to bed. The next day my friend had come over with her young kid who was into everything, so I stashed the records behind the sofa out of her way and that’s where they had remained, forgotten about until this record was played and the farcical conversation that ensued.…Best kinda belated birthday present ever!

All this and you also get the mysterious, magnificent, Orbs Of Light live!

*I asked Dean to acquire photos of folks brandishing sleeves – “Please make sure that everyone is smiling.” I did laugh when I saw what they’d sent in.